Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto will meet this evening with Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the largest opposition party, Shinshinto, to ask for cooperation over his government's plan to revise a law on land expropriation for U.S. military bases in Okinawa, officials said Apr. 1.
Hashimoto is likely to ask Ozawa for help in his bid to revise a law that would allow the government to secure land in Okinawa Prefecture for U.S. military forces after land leases expire on May 14. It is considered unusual for Hashimoto to arrange such a meeting before consulting with the leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party's allies -- the Social Democratic Party and New Party Sakigake.
Hashimoto, who heads a minority government, apparently hopes to gain support from outside the ruling bloc for revision of the 1952 land expropriation law, which governs the supply of land for U.S. troops, at a time when the SDP is expected to oppose it. Some senior members of the ruling party said Apr. 1 that the LDP should not hesitate to seek support from opposition forces to have the law revised without fail.